In one of the most notable moves ahead of the trade deadline, Kirk Cousins was traded to the Minnesota Vikings, a team he knows very well. With that move, John Spytek is expressing confidence in what Fernando Mendoza can bring to the table as he takes over as the Las Vegas Raiders‘ QB1.
“It’s something that he’s worked very hard for since the moment he walked into this building,” Spytek said to the press. “He passed every test. I want to stop short of saying he’s earned it, but he put us in a position where we had to make a really hard decision today with his growth as a person, as a teammate, as a leader, as a quarterback.”
The Raiders’ plan for Mendoza was clear from the start: provide the rookie with the tools he needs to learn as much as possible. With Kirk Cousins serving as his primary mentor, Klint Kubiak acknowledges that the former Indiana Hoosiers quarterback had an excellent role model to learn from.
“I think with the right role model that will accelerate his growth and we had, you know, we had the right role model,” Kubiak said. Clearly, the Raiders are more than satisfied with Mendoza.
Kirk Cousins (L) Fernando Mendoza (R).
Mendoza has already shown his character this season
As the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Fernando Mendoza’s regular-season action has been extremely limited so far. Serving primarily as the backup, Mendoza has appeared in just one game (Week 5 against New England).
In that brief outing, he completed 6 of 8 passes (75.0% completion rate) for 48 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions, registering an 89.6 passer rating alongside 1 rushing attempt for 3 yards.
Even in that blowout loss to the Patriots, he stepped on the field cold and showed great character by driving the offense with confidence and sharp decision-making.
Fernando Mendoza’s first major challenge
The Las Vegas Raiders are set to return home in Week 10 to host the Seattle Seahawks. The matchup will take place on Sunday, November 15, 2026, at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada.
There, Mendoza will make his first start and look to secure the team’s fifth win of the season, bringing their record to 5-5 and putting them back in contention in the AFC West.
Key takeaways
- Fernando Mendoza takes over as the Las Vegas Raiders’ starting QB1.
- Kirk Cousins was traded to the Minnesota Vikings ahead of the NFL trade deadline.
- The Las Vegas Raiders host the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, November 15, 2026.
